Legends of Belariath
ShaKaSelu
Playtime For ShaKa
This takes place at the home of Sha-Ka...it is meant to show that he is not totally evil....at least to his children ;)
The spring air was crisp and dry, yet also warm at the same time...I was on my way back to my cabin to try and finish building an add on room for the place. I was not in the mood for surprises AT ALL, yet if you have not learned by now...shit -never- goes my way. Anyway, I was nudging my steed Darkness along the trail leading to the cabin. My mind was wandering, jumping from subject to subject, but the subject it lingered most on was the loss of my former love Nidawi.
I was standing in my chambers...looking out the window over the forests of the inn as I spoke to her...she was...
I could not continue the thought anymore...despite my rocky exterior, my heart still hurt inside. Nevertheless I had to move on...I was about to return to my random musings when something loud broke my revelry. “EEEEEEyyyyaaaay” was the sound that came from my right...followed by another yell...”eeeeeYYYAAAAY!!” I quickly got off my horse and kneeled down, opening my arms. Tarrina and Alexandrya Emboitant...my twin daughters ran into my arms. They were my only sources of unconditional happiness these days and I made it known to MANY of the inn patrons that if they messed with my girls, they will be killed...and no amount of magic will EVER resurrect them. Tarrina slobbered on my cheek and giggled...”yaydaddywemissedyou” she said rapidly. I could not help but chuckle at the young girl, her magick talents were recently uncovered albeit in an unorthodox manner:
I was sitting in my personally customized and carved chair in the den of my cabin...it was one of the few times I had to myself and I was immersed in the sounds and smells of the silent cabin. The crackling fire and soft rapping of the raindrops on the roof actually drove me into a state of meditation. My thoughts continued uninterrupted for several minutes until I was suddenly jarred out of it by a loud *FWOOSH* followed by a wail of pain. Jumping up and out of my seat, I ran into the bedroom that the girls shared. There in the corner, crying and pointing, was little Alexy (my nickname for Alexandrya). I looked to see whom she was pointing at only to see my other girl Tarrina Analese standing flat against the wall stiff as a board. I was about to dismiss it and scold them both, when I noticed some smoke coming from Tarrina’s fingers. I looked back at Alexy and her cotton dress was scorched but otherwise she was unhurt. It seems that my little mage daughter Tarrina had just learned a mini-firebolt spell and accidentally used it on Alexy. We all had a good laugh that night....that is for sure
I was pulled from my long reverie by my other daughter Alexy, running into my arms and hugging and kissing me as well. She was, what some would call, the tom boy of the two, always getting into scraps with other children when she visited her grandparents. Oftentimes I had to separate the twins because they got too rough and their friendly strikes would turn into vicious hair pulling and screaming.
I hoisted up my girls and carried them the rest of the way to my cabin, still being rebuilt after the leveling K2 had so kindly done to it. Once inside, I set them down and told them to go clean up, they were filthier than swine and no daughter of mine will stay that way for long. Also, despite my inner urges not to, I told them of their heritage, their dark elf heritage that is. I taught them the dark elven language and the history, as well as the tradition that females are often thought as superior to males. However I quickly nipped any possible future difficulties in the bud by telling them that not every male will accept their claims, and not to force their will upon others unless they exhibit submissive tendencies. The girls, suffice to say, said ‘huh’ to all of this and shrugged, returning to their simple toys and magic.
One cannot help but grin at their innocence, their uninhibited joy for life as they did nothing more than play with their dolls. I watched them from my chair in the den, the fire roaring as the day slowly faded to twilight. Watching the girls, I knew that even the hardest of hearts like Story’s would melt at the sight.
I became so engrossed in their play that I did not even notice the sound of clopping hooves in the distance. I went into the kitchen to prepare the girls’ dinner, when I heard the door opening and delicate clicking of boot heels walking in. I put down the tenderized mutton and fruits in favor of investigating the stranger in my den. I keep a sword hidden in nearly every room in the cabin, and two in my bedroom...I planned never to be caught unarmed in my own home, especially with the enemies I have.
As I pushed the door open to the den, I raised my sword up and charged in silently. I stopped short though as I saw a medium build, blouse wearing sylvan elf with a grin on her face. Most notably my business partner Ehlanna. She and I had joined together in the past recently in favor of a great purpose...profit and clothing. I had become the business and accounting half and she became the public relations half. Together we had made our clothing store live up to its name as the premier clothing shop in all of Belariath. Granted, the self-imposed title was a bit egocentric, but that was my idea and I stand by it.
Ehlanna had come by on one of her many visits since my break up with the high elf known as Nidawi. Although the split had been at first, on very hateful and nearly violent terms, we have both come to grips with what has happened and have become friends, even to the point of her flirting with me here and there. I swear daily that I must stand by my decision, and even though she has found refuge in the arms of a high elven male whose very presence I cannot stand...I must respect her decision to wed him and grin and bear it. Ehlanna and I had bonded even more recently due to our mutual understandings of lost love and regrets...I believe she had stepped up her visits to me and her god-children out of fear that I may turn my cruel and evil actions on the twins. Or perhaps it was that she did not wish for me to shrivel up and turn into a hate filled person, determined not to let anyone else have love...how coincidental that she is determined to stop me from becoming the very thing she almost became long ago.
I welcomed Ehlanna into my home and bade her sit down and make herself at home. Now, I love Ehlanna to death, I will not deny it in private, but sometimes that elf is just too damn flirty for her own good. When I returned to my kitchen to finish preparing meals, she snuck up behind me and squeezed my rear playfully before asking me if she can help. I, of course, responded with a typical witty reply and said ‘sure’. As we worked side by side, I could not help but reminisce about the early days of our clothing business. I was cutting and slicing at the weeds with my dagger, determined to clear the front lawn of the shop to make it look presentable. Ehlanna was inside casting clean spells left and right and not even breaking a sweat. I, of course was still a scruffy punk who could not even cast an arctic blast without fainting. My my my, have not we all come a long way....
Ehlanna and I sat at the table eating and discussing inn gossip. Supposedly, Story had been sent to hell or some such by the Unigo tower, now...I am not one to insult my friends, but Tophet needs to cease putting himself in such positions! I do not care WHO or WHAT he is...if *I* can kill his ass...then he needs to be very careful around Unigo. I was just about to tell the silver haired beauty this, when there was a loud crash and screams in the den.
We both jumped up and ran in to see what had happened, and lo and behold, a small pack of goblins had apparently followed Ehlanna here and decided it would be ‘fun’ to grab my girls and try to kidnap them. I glanced at Ehlanna...she glanced at me...and then we proceeded to kick some goblinoid ass. The two goblins who had my girls split up, one ran out the door, the other jumped through a window and dashed off into the woods. I yelled for Ehlanna to take on the three left over and I would retrieve my girls. As I have said, I love Ehlanna to death...but some things you must do yourself.
I was hot on the trail of the goblin who had fled out the door...he was holding a screaming and kicking Alexy crooked under his green and gnarled arm. I thought for a second who should I feel more sorry for...the goblin and what fate was to befall him, or Alexy because she was trapped in his armpit. I sprinted after him, my long legs carrying me better than his short stubby ones. He yelled something at me in goblinese and began to run faster. Fed up with the race, I extended my arm and took careful aim...sending a thin needle like blast of energy forward, I severed the goblin’s lower half clean from his torso, thus promptly ending the race (I think I won). He screamed a shrill ear-piercing scream and dropped Alexy, scrambling to get away from me, I scooped up my daughter and left the goblin to bleed to death.
The goblin who had stolen little Tarrina was quite the agile little bastard, his movements reminded me of the slaving sadistic goblin known, to most, as Slag. Pity I was not the one who had put an end to his smelly life. This goblin, unlike Slag, was no taller than 4 feet but his movements convinced me that he could easily outdo most catgirls if it came to agility. I did not care though, my only concerns were with Tarrina’s safety. The chase took us through at least a league of forest, over and under roots and through brooks and streams....TWICE I lost the trail, but luckily for me, a nymph pointed me in the right direction the first time, and Tarrina’s screams and yells for her daddy assisted me the second time. “Daaaaadddyyyy I want my daaaaddy!” That was all I heard next to the grunts and snarls of the kidnapper.
Oh how he led me on a merry chase...but alas, it came to a conclusion in a clearing. You see, I knew where that goblin was going after the second time I lost the trail. Therefore, I began to flank him and herd him around back towards the cabin’s clearing. Oh, the look on his face when he saw that familiar cabin, a pile of his dead goblin comrades, and the fiery look of hatred on a silver haired sylvan elf. He began to back up, he even dropped Tarrina and she kicked him in the shin before running back into the cabin to join her sister. I merely grabbed the goblin about the neck and hoisted him into the air. His screams were cut short the moment I brought him down hard upon my knee, effectively breaking his whole body in two.
Sometime later, after night had fully fallen, I had returned from putting the girls to bed and sank down into my chair. Ehlanna came trouncing in after me once she finished singing the girls a sylvan lullaby, and promptly seated herself in my lap. “Tea?” she asked, I shook my head no and lay my head back. It would be another 2 hours before their nanny arrived to take care of them while I went to the inn, so I thought I would catch some Z’s in the meantime. Apparently Ehlanna did not feel like going all the way back to her place and fell asleep right on me. There we slept...I dreaming my dreams of conquest, glory, and lost love...and Ehlanna, dreaming whatever it is that sylvan clothiers dream....just another day of playtime for me.
Muchos special thanks to Ehlanna for allowing me to use her name in my story...and my thanks to Nidawi and the others for all their support!